Squatters in Nepal have become an unresolved problem and the political parties have made it a permanent problem for exploiting the government land by distributing it to the party workers covered under the squatters.

Every government forms one central-level commission and 77 district-level committees employing their party workers paying salaries and allowances from the government’s treasury. Along with the change in the government, the commission and district-level committees will be dissolved and again the political parties in the government form another commission and district-level committees nationwide.    

After dissolving the previous commission for squatters, the present government formed another commission in the federation and also the district-level committees in all the districts sharing posts by the NC and UML.

Those squatters have illegally occupied public property under the political protection from different political parties. If investigated impartially, only 10 percent of them could be the real squatters, otherwise, they all are the party workers occupying precious government land. Every day, the number of squatters is increasing as they are protected by the political parties.   

The government has issued an ordinance amending the existing laws related to the public land. Under the new provision, the government can use forest land and also public land for different purposes including distribution of land to squatters. After being involved in direct corruption and commission, the political leaders are eying on misuse of public property. In the name of resolving the problems related to land, the government has amended laws through ordinance and planning to exploit public land. While amending laws, holes are created paving the way for planned corruption and misuse of public property.

First of all an investigation is needed to identify the real squatters. Then, instead of distributing the government land free of cost, they should asked to serve the country according to their capability for certain years before they acquire ownership of the land they have received. The government should identify areas to be developed from the contribution of those squatters.

The government can request different private sector industries to employ the squatters at the cost of providing them with land. The government should abandon the concept of distributing public property free of cost. First of all, the political parties should end the practice of protecting those squatters. Otherwise, powerful squatters may attempt to capture the open theatre in Kathmandu. When the Kathmandu Metropolis was unable to evacuate those squatters occupying precious land in Kathmandu following non-cooperation from the government, we can assume the strength and power of the squatters. If such a trend continues, tomorrow, other big problems will exist in other forms.